all the things she said
by ninejs
Summary: Being with Metis had opened Aura's eyes. —aura/metis, athena, simon


**originally written 1/25/14.**

* * *

 **all the things she said**

 **(being with you has opened my eyes)**

* * *

 _i._

* * *

Metis has one of those one-of-a-kind smiles that displays every amount of happiness you will ever feel in your whole entire life. It's that kind of smile that is so difficult to find, and if you do find it, you'll only see it on that one person.

Every time she smiles, it's like something in the world has gone horribly right and Aura is left staring blankly, wondering how someone could be _that_ happy. There's nothing to be _that_ happy about, at least not in that moment. Yet there's still that happy spark that tells everyone it's great to be alive, no matter what's happened in the past. It's like she makes people feel better without even trying.

She's just that kind of person.

Why is this so difficult?

It's no wonder Simon tells her to stop fantasizing like some silly schoolgirl. But she can't help it, at least not with the way Metis smiles and shines like a ray of sunshine. She's an array of sunshine, and she's everything that makes this world beautiful and did Aura _really_ just -

"Ugh. When did my life become an after school drama?"

"It's more like an anime," Simon states. The tone is simple, but Aura knows her brother is being far smugger than he should be. He's cracking one of his rare jokes.

And just _when_ did Simon get in her lab in the first place? And because Simon has to go and make her think these stupid things, the best comeback she can come up with is:

"Shut up, nerd."

* * *

 _ii._

* * *

Being head over heels in love with Metis has changed Aura in ways that still confound her. She finds she's less sarcastic, and when it comes to her daily battle of insults with Simon, she sometimes loses, which is something she hasn't done in years, since they were kids and she actually _was_ a silly high school student.

"Why don't you just tell her how you honestly feel?"

Aura stares at Simon in a stupid way and then rolls her eyes. "Because it's just _that_ simple."

"But that's what-"

"No, I do _not_ care what happened in last week's episode of whatever you're watching. Simon, my life is not some lifetime drama! It's _not_ that simple!"

Aura huffs. This was not supposed to become so serious so fast, and she wasn't supposed to be reacting like the school girl she no longer was. Nor was she supposed to be shouting at Simon. He was only trying to help in his strange, special way of his.

Simon pats her on the head. "Alright, sister, I apologize. I realize your life isn't a simple TV show, but you should really tell Metis how you feel one way or another."

Aura covers her blushing face and Simon pats her head again, with an air of comfort that proves he really is a silly little brother.

"Thanks, nerd," Aura whispers.

She really means it, despite the name-calling, and they both know that. It's times like these when Simon becomes a comforting little brother that she feels most at ease.

Athena waltzes in, but when she sees the scene, she hides behind the door, and she hears Simon chuckle and a whirring sound of Ponco (or Clonco) coming to a halt.

"Why don't you go play dolls with the little princess now?"

"We don't –"

"Simon. You're playing with an eleven year old girl. Sometimes you play with _two_ eleven year old girls. Yes, you are playing with dolls. Now go, before Juniper gets the doll you want."

He doesn't respond, just sulks and takes Athena's hand in his own and walks down the hallway. Aura lets out a laugh and then Metis walks in.

"What's so funny?"

Aura blushes and looks away, "Oh, um, nothing. Just teasing Simon."

"As per usual," Metis says with a little giggle that is _too cute_ for Aura to handle. Then Metis smiles at her and –

…Oh, god, how is she supposed to concentrate?

* * *

 _iii._

* * *

Metis has this poise and elegance that Aura finds herself studying more than she should, and more than her robots… which is what she's _supposed_ to be studying. Metis catches her staring once or twice, but she says nothing. She just points her eyes in that angle that says _I know what you're doing_.

Aura has to wonder how much she knows. Does Metis know how she feels about her? Does she know that she's stalking – ahem, studying – her?

"Aura, did you solve that problem with Clonco?"

Aura stares, dumbfounded. "There was a problem…?"

Metis smirks. It's something new, definitely, and Aura's almost shocked at how perfectly she smirks, lips angled just the way they're supposed to be. She's like a living painting.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Were you paying attention?"

Aura mentally smacks herself. _Yes, just not to what you were saying… More like my own thoughts of how radiant you are –_

"Hey, mommy!"

Aura's saved. _Yes, yes, yes. Thank god for Athena and her not knowing an appropriate time to interrupt!_

Metis smiles, again in that living painting way, like she jumped out of her frame. Her lips look red and faded and Aura's staring… _again_.

"What is it, Athena?" she asks, bending down.

Aura smiles at the scene. She, herself, was not one for children. She didn't get them, and they didn't get her… Or, rather, they didn't understand that they were annoying her and Aura doesn't know how to handle them.

"I wanted to show you this new picture! Simon helped me with this one, so it's really special!"

Aura smirks. Simon's _such_ a dweeb.

Metis looks down at the large piece of paper with watercolors on it. Aura starts to grow curious, so she tilts her head as if to glance at it, but she can't see it. All she can see is Metis's big, beautiful smile. She finds herself blushing at the sight.

Simon just so happens to walk in at that moment. What a jerk, hiding behind the door and waiting for her to wonder what Athena drew that's so special like that.

"Athena-hime, why don't you show Aura?"

"Okie-dokie!"

Did he really just call her – Oh, it doesn't matter _what_ he called her because Aura has no clue what that even means. Metis might, and judging by the strange smile on her face, she does, but she says nothing. Anyway, Athena bounds up to her and tugs on her skirt, a very pleased smile on her delicate features.

"Look, Ms. Aura!"

When Athena shows her masterpiece, Aura isn't sure if she should smile, blush, or hide under the table.

She smiles and tells Athena that she did a good job.

What else can she say? It's a picture of her and Metis holding hands, and Aura knows Athena's so innocent that she doesn't know what she's insinuating.

Simon, however…

"See, Aura, others know."

Aura blushes and lets out a puff of air. "I'm… going to get back to work now."

Athena smiles her little, delicate smile, "Hey, Ms. Aura, I want you to have this!"

Aura almost drops what she's carrying, and Metis has to cover her mouth with her long sleeves, and even Simon looks shocked, but in his smug way. _Fucking asshole_.

"Um… Are you sure?"

She didn't mean to stutter, but she's never received anything like this before, and never from a child. She barely knew how to _respond_ to children, let alone Athena.

"Yeah! You work as hard as mommy, so you should get some kind of prize…" Athena says, looking at the ground, a light blush dusting her cheeks now as well.

Some princess. In that moment, Aura feels a pang of guilt for being so jealous over the little miserable girl. (She knows she shouldn't be jealous, but oh, Metis is just too beautiful and all she wants is all Metis's love for her and her _alone_.)

It's a very nice gesture and Aura bends down to her level. "Alright, kiddo. I'll take it."

Athena's smile grows huge, and Aura wants to smile back, but she's _Aura_ and Athena's the _princess_ and if she did, her jealousy would mean so little it would almost be nonexistent.

But…

She can't resist. The princess is adorable and she looks so _happy_. Aura's never seen her that happy before in her life.

She hands it out to her, her hands shaking and as delicately as possible, the older woman takes it.

"Thanks."

Athena beams again, and Metis laughs her gorgeous laugh of tinkling bells. Her sleeve is still over her mouth, and she looks so… cute. Simon smiles at Aura too, and Aura blushes crimson. It's too much attention, and she wonders if Athena can tell by the way her eyes light up like she's got an idea.

She runs back to Simon, and she tugs on his hand. "Hey, Simon, I think we should let Ms. Aura and mommy get back to work now."

"Alright, Athena-hime, let's be on our way."

They wave goodbye and Aura puts the picture down gently on her desk, feeling herself burning up. Metis puts a hand on her forehead.

"No, you're fine. I was starting to get worried."

"I…"

Then Metis gets it, really _gets_ it. "My, my, Aura, I had no clue you didn't like all that attention."

Aura covers her face again.

"Alright, alright," Metis says with a light laugh, "Let's get back to work."

* * *

 _iv._

* * *

She puts the painting on the wall. It's a silly picture, really, and she _knows_ Simon had something to do with what the princess drew, but nobody had any idea that said princess would give it to Aura. She smiles lightly at it, still surprised it's now in her possession.

"You really like that picture, don't you?"

Metis pops in, unsuspected and shining, like always.

"I… guess you could say I do."

Ugh, when did Aura go about admitting things that she didn't want to? Being in love with Metis was really starting to change her.

"I'm glad…" Metis says, eyes trailing off to the picture. It's cute, in a childish way, much like the artist herself. It's got talent, though, as Athena's skill as an artist was more than the average kid, seeing as she spent most of her time inside. Juniper must have helped a bit, as well as the robots, and of course, Simon. It seems he even had her sign it in the bottom right corner, like a real artist.

"Athena seems to be warming up to you, Aura."

"I… hadn't noticed."

"I would assume you haven't. You're not… comfortable around children, are you?"

 _Bam_. Psychologist's intuition.

"Um… No, I'm not," Aura admits with a blush. Metis knows her too well and Aura really wishes she'd stop making her so nervous.

"Well, I applaud you for trying."

There are lips on her cheek, soft, gentle and elegant. Metis smiles at her, in all her radiance, and even though Aura's on fire, she really appreciates Metis's gratitude just as much as Metis appreciates her trying to deal with the princess.

"Really, thank you, Aura."

"It's… no problem, Metis."

In that moment, Aura feels they have never been closer.

* * *

 _v._

* * *

Metis is gone.

Gone.

Gone.

No, it's not possible. She can't be.

Aura's tear stained pillow answers for her, though, and she eventually has to admit to herself that Metis is gone as is her brother, locked in a place he doesn't belong in. The only one to go free is that princess, naïve and stupid and _guilty_.

Aura wasn't sure when she started hating Athena, but she assumes it was around the same time she started to blame her for Metis's death and her brother's arrest, though the latter was her brother's fault. He took the blame because he loved that little girl and Metis too much.

"You're such an idiot…"

For the longest time, he will not see her. He won't see anyone. He wants to begin rotting alone. During those first few weeks, unable to see him, Aura goes into work when the building is all cleared up from the incident. Her lab is still a little in shambles, and Metis is…

She lets out a sigh. The picture is on the wall.

Of course.

She wants to rip it to shreds because that princess left and ruined everything. She left a pool of pain and tears in her wake, and Aura wants to rip it off the wall and hack it to pieces but… She can't.

She remembers Metis's gratitude when Aura tried to put up with Athena and her antics. She remembers Metis and her eyes, her lips, her serenity… The way she looked like she was a living, breathing painting, all delicate and perfectly angled… Her kisses burn and Metis is really, really gone and Aura's still not sure how she's going to fare all alone in this lab.

Most of all, though, she remembers how it felt to love Metis and how it felt when they were together. And those memories are too much.

Tears streak her face, and the second Clonco comes near…

 _You're a bad parent, Aura_.

 _That's okay. The good one was always Metis._

* * *

 _vi._

* * *

When the trial's over, Aura feels like a fool.

The princess was never at fault. It was that man… That man took her brother, Metis and any affection she held for Athena all in one sabotage, in one murder that meant nothing to him.

She's relieved she knows the truth now, and she knows that Simon and Athena will work together to get that man that stole from them.

She wants nothing more than to hug Simon and just have her brother back for a few minutes, but she's accepted her fate. She's been defeated, and now all she can do is cry.

It seems to be alright, though, because as Phoenix goes to talk to Edgeworth about what he's going to do, Aura watches Simon and Athena's silly reunion.

"I'm so proud of you, Athena-hime," he says, delicately patting her head. Some tears fall from Athena's eyes, ever-so-slowly, and she paws at them, trying to get them to stop. He places a chaste kiss on her forehead, comforting her in a way that Aura never knew he was capable of. He's so reminiscent of Metis in that moment that it leaves Aura reeling.

"It was nothing, Simon…" she says, "But it's not over yet!"

Aura finds herself shedding a tear or two at the scene. She wipes the tears away as fast as possible and lets the bailiff take her off to the detention center. It's time to atone for her crimes.

Though as she sits in the center, she starts to picture Athena and Simon's reunion when the trial is all over and the phantom is caught. It'll be full of sap, probably, and Aura's sure glad she won't be there to see that monstrosity.

But… she can still imagine it. It'll be something like what she saw before she left for prison, just with more tears and hugs and… ugh, gross.

Aura shakes her head, laughing just a little bit. That's more of an after school drama than her life used to be when Metis was around. Simon finally got his wish.

* * *

 _vii._

* * *

Athena makes a good lawyer. They talk about her case with Simon, and they get her reduced time in the clink, as Simon so eloquently puts it.

"Don't you think Athena-hime did a good job, sister?" he asks her, as smug as ever. He's trying to get her to admit something she doesn't want to admit, like always.

"Actually… yeah, I think the little princess did great…"

…Is what he expects her to say. Instead, Aura crosses her arms and lets out a strangled, "Yeah, she did a good job."

Athena beams. "Thanks, Ms. Aura!"

Simon pats them both on the head, and Aura smiles, just a bit. It's nice for Simon to be their brother again. Athena is beaming under his attention, looking almost like a toddler again. It's definitely cute. The princess had always been so, though, even though Aura hated her for seven and a half years.

Aura smiles. It's been a while since the little princess has called her that, and though Aura hates to do this, being without Metis has taught her just as much as being with Metis has.

"Hey, princess…" she says, barely above a whisper. Athena looks over, a little confused.

"I'm… proud of you, okay? And… I think Metis would be, too."

It takes all of Aura's courage to admit that, but Metis had taught her so much, and it had opened her understanding of the world more than anything or anyone else could.

"Here, Aura, we brought you something for prison," Simon says, handing her the picture of Metis she always kept in her lab. It's that picture where she embodies radiance and serenity, just like she always did. Aura feels her eyes begin to grow a little wet.

Athena's hands shake, but she gives her a rolled up piece of paper. When Aura unravels it, it's the picture from all those years ago… The one that Athena drew of her and Metis.

Aura's sure she's crying now, damn it, but she's also sure she's got some kind of stupid smile plastered on her face.

"Thanks, kiddo. I'll… I'll treasure it."

* * *

 **Original Extra Notes:**

" _ **Hime**_ **" means princess. I figured since Simon was like "Metis is my queen," he'd probably address Athena with some level of respect, because tbh Simon is just like that. Y'all know, you played the game. Obviously, he uses the term in endearment and respect, unlike Aura's sarcasm and hostility, and that foil is what I really wanted to portray with it.**

 **The main point of this was to explore what Aura's feelings for Athena were. I feel like it's not as simple as just "Aura hates her" and I doubt that's true, anyway, because Aura loved Metis and Athena is Metis's daughter, after all!**

 **I was also conflicted about them giving her the gifts when she wasn't in prison, but uh, I tried to say she was in prison first but it didn't really work out… It was awkwardly worded and it sounded better the way I ended it.**

 **The song this is titled after is "All The Things She Said" by t.a.T.u.**


End file.
